High Expectations
by Mentally-Unstable
Summary: TNA. Two-shot, part two of the “Christian Coalition Chronicles”. She shows up on a dare, and he shows up trying to mend a broken heart. Can an accidental run-in prove to be more than a mistake, or will they simple shake hands and go home? AJxOC


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Fandom: Wrestling(TNA)

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Title: High Expectations

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Rating: PG-13

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Genre: Romance/Comedy

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Summary: Two-shot, part two of the "Christian Coalition Chronicles". She shows up on a dare, and he shows up trying to mend a broken heart. Can an accidental run-in prove to be more than a mistake, or will they simple shake hands and go home? AJxOC

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A/N: Because my AJ love couldn't stay hidden in the shadows anymore….(shut up!)

--

She'd done it on a dare. A stupid, childish dare that she should've flat-out refused, but she was tipsy so she thought, _Hey, what the hell?_ How the hell could she have ever thought this was a good idea?

__

Brunette, athletic, fun-loving, non-smoker, seeking a nice, handsome guy to have drinks with and see where it leads.

Leave it to her to let someone _else_ write the damn ad, too. She sounded like a hooker!

Groaning, Autumn sat back in her chair, glancing at her watch. They'd sent the ad out on her last days off, and now here she was--waiting in a nice little local bar in Orlando for the man of her dreams...or, a psycho who was going to drug her, kidnap her, and kill her slowly. With her luck, it would be the latter. She sighed leisurely, sipping her margarita and surveying all the guys in the bar. It was around six o'clock in the evening, so the crazy crowd wasn't out _just_ yet, and all the guys she saw didn't _look_ crazy. Then again, her "date" wasn't supposed to be there until six-thirty, so she was really just wasting her time hoping it would turn out to be the sexy guy in the tousled business suit sitting in the back. Well, he was probably sleeping with his secretary anyway, so what did it matter?

She sighed again and polished off her margarita, ordering another and glancing at her watch. _Six fifteen..._ She thought with dismay. Maybe it wasn't too late to sneak out and forget any of this ever happened. She shook her head. No, then she'd feel guilty for whatever dude was coming to meet her. She absolutely _hated_ her guilty conscience, and the trouble it tended to get her into. And she didn't even know what he looked like, or what he sounded it like, even. Leave it to her friends to ask for contact by email. _Idiots._ She thought with a shake of her head.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the door to the bar open and she looked up, almost falling out of her chair when in walked one of her co-workers. He was dressed in blue jeans and a black suit-jacket over a tight-fitting maroon t-shirt with black tribal designs. She froze. What did she do? She couldn't let him see her meeting up with some stranger in a bar because of a _personal_ ad. Then again, she did know he was getting over a bad break up--if he was here cruising for chicks, there was a chance they could come to a compromise. An "I won't tell if you won't tell" kind of thing. Hell, maybe he wouldn't even recognize her, she sighed with relief and turned away, sipping her drink.

"Hey, girl! What are you doing here?"

And...busted. She smiled at him as he walked over, literally hopping into the seat next to her, "Hey, AJ! Leave it to us to pick the same bar, huh?"

"I know, right? In a city this big, too." AJ Styles shook his head, his southern accent seeming even more apparent as he ordered a beer and looked at her, "You here alone?"

She shook her head, "No, I'm waiting on a friend--you?"

"Same." The bartender set his beer down and AJ took a swig, "A girl." He added, and Autumn resisted the urge to laugh, "I kinda figured that, Styles."

He nodded and continued drinking, and she couldn't help but notice that he seemed nervous. She didn't know him all that well, but they hung out from time to time and she thought she had a pretty good grasp on him. He was fidgeting, tapping his fingers on the bar, and chewing his bottom lip. She raised an eyebrow, "She must be important, huh, AJ?"

"Huh?" He looked up, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're acting like you're about to propose to somebody. Loosen up a bit." She picked up her drink, "That's what the alcohol is for, remember?"

He grinned, "I'm sorry. It's kind of a...blind date, I guess. I don't wanna screw it up." He picked up his beer again. She shook her head and leaned forward, "Dude, you're AJ Styles. You don't have to worry about screwing up. Just be your usual dumb, southern, blue-eyed self and whoever she is will melt like butter."

"Well gee, thanks, I think." He said with a laugh, "But it's better advice than I got from Christian."

"Which was?"

"Go dutch."

"Oh, geez." She shook her head with a laugh, "I hope he was kidding." But she knew he probably wasn't. She glanced at her watch again, _Six twenty._ Any minute now.

"Oh, what time is it?" AJ asked, and she told him. He let out a breath, "Almost showtime. Oh, damn! I almost forgot."

"What?"

"I have to wear something so she'll know who I am." He reached into his coat and pulled out something tiny that she couldn't see. He fidgeted with his jacket for a moment and when he removed his hands, he had a pin in the shape of Scooby-Doo on his lapel, "You know hard it is to find a Scooby-Doo pin?" He shook his head, and Autumn stayed silent, staring at the pin, her heart pounding in her chest, and it was her turn to tap her fingers on the bar and chew her bottom lip nervously. "Oh my God." She muttered, rubbing her forehead. This could _not_ be happening.

AJ looked at her, "Whoa...are you feeling ok? You look kinda pale."

She took a deep breath and looked at him. Yeah, the color probably drained from her face. She was probably going to have a heart attack. _It's ok. Just stand up and leave. Say you've been stood up and you're just gonna go home and eat a gallon of vanilla ice cream._ She opened her mouth to speak, but the look in his blue eyes hit her like a brick. He seemed really worried about her. _Shit!_

"AJ, you're here answering a personal ad, aren't you?"

"What? _No_!" He scoffed, making a face and taking a sip of beer, "I mean...even if I was, it..."

"AJ, it was me."

"What?"

"I'm the personal ad. That Scooby-Doo pin? Yeah, that's for me!" She covered her face in her hands to hide her embarrassment, "God, AJ, I'm _so_ sorry. I was drinking a couple weeks ago and one of my friends decided it would be fun and of course I agreed because I didn't expect anyone to answer it. Especially not _you!_" She groaned and finally managed the courage to look at him. She expected a look of hurt and disappointment. Instead, he had that cocky-yet-dumb grin on his face that he tended to get on Impact, "What are you smiling at? This is a disaster!"

"Well, I definitely could've ended up with a worse looking co-worker, you know?" He shrugged, finishing off his beer and ordering another. He pointed towards his lapel, "Scooby-Doo?"

"It's all I could come up with." She shrugged, propping her elbows on the bar, "AJ, I'm really sorry. Seriously, I know you're disappointed. You were probably expecting a leggy blonde who would be the newest love of your life."

"Well, the ad did say brunette. And you're _kind_ of leggy--in the right light, you know."

She shoved him, shaking her head, "I'm serious, Styles. You took a chance and ended up with me. I'm sorry."

"It's ok!" He said with a laugh, looking at her, "You're the one I should be apologizing to. You were probably expecting Johnny Storm."

"_Wishing_ for. Expecting Chester the Child Molester." She smiled, "And it's not like you're Robert Roode or anything, so I'm not complaining."

An awkward silence passed over them. The only sounds that could be heard was the clanking of glasses and quiet chatter throughout the bar. AJ cleared his throat, "So, I guess we...go our separate ways now?"

She coughed slightly, "Oh. Uh...yeah, I guess."

"Alright, then." AJ stood, extending his hand, "This was...confusing. And...kind of humiliating."

"I thought so too." She smiled, standing and gripping his hand, "I'll see you at work, I guess."

"Alright." He grinned again, stepping closer to her and brushing a quick kiss across her cheek. She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow and he shrugged, "Hey, so it wasn't a _total_ loss."

She laughed and shook her head, "Bye, AJ."

--

The sun was setting, and the evening seemed too nice to waste in a cab ride so Autumn decided she'd walk home. She wore boots, not heels, so her feet wouldn't be killing her when she got to her apartment and maybe she'd take the time to grab a bite to eat or do some shopping. But she wasn't really hungry. And she really didn't feel like shoving through the crowds at a busy mall or even venturing into one of the little shops that lined the streets. Truth be told, her mind was still reeling over the earlier incident with AJ Styles. She after she'd gotten over the initial embarrassment and guilt, she thought maybe they'd have a few drinks and she'd get to know him better. But he couldn't get out of there faster, and she'd probably be the talk of the water cooler when she went back to work. But then again, he couldn't say much--after all, she'd placed the ad on a dare. What was his excuse? Had his break-up really pushed him to personal ads in the sunday paper? She didn't deny that he was a good looking guy, and he was always nice to her. Did he really have that much trouble in the dating department, or was he just looking for something to "take his mind" off his failed relationship?

She shook her head to clear her thoughts of him and stopped at a corner red light, glancing at her watch. She could go to a club, or opt for something quieter and go see a movie or something. Was there even anything playing that remotely interested her? The "Walk" light appeared and she crossed the street just as she remembered the new Adam Sandler movie was playing. If she hurried, she could probably make it with enough time to grab an overpriced soda and see the previews.

--

The movie started at 7:45 and Autumn barreled through the theater doors at 7:30--right on time. Breathing a sigh of relief, she approached the counter and asked for an adult ticket and a super-sized Dr. Pepper, then leaned against the counter to wait, picking up a thin booklet of upcoming attractions and coupons for popcorn and candy discounts and thumbed through it.

"Wow." She heard a voice say, "Could this night _be_ any more embarassing?"

She froze, covering her face with the booklet as she turned around, "You're not who I think you are, are you?"

"There's a Scooby-Doo still stuck to my jacket, isn't there?"

Autumn removed the booklet and stared at him, holding an extra large popcorn in one hand and a supersize drink in the other. He shrugged sheepishly, "You don't have to tell me I'm pathetic."

"Hey, I'm here, too." She groaned, "This is like a really _bad_ John Hughes movie."

The clerk came back with her ticket and soda and AJ balanced his snacks with one arm and reached into his pocket, "Wait--I'll get it." He handed the clerk his credit card and Autumn opened her mouth to protest but AJ held up a hand to stop her, "I've put her through a lot tonight." He explained to the clerk and winked at Autumn as he retrieved his card back and the two started walking, "What movie are you seeing, anyway?"

"You didn't have to pay, AJ."

"I know, but I did. Now, what movie?"

"_You Don't Mess With The Zohan._ I love a good Sandler flick."

"Alright, now I'm freaked out." He shook his head, showing her his ticket, "Me too."

She was speechless. Her eyes went wide as she gaped at him in surprise and he couldn't help but burst out laughing. She shook her head, "What next, are you gonna tell me you wore your lucky green socks, too?"

"Well, actually..."

"Oh, shut up."

The two cashed in their tickets and went through the doors to the correct screen. All the seats were full except for a few in the very front row, but AJ spotted two good seats in the perfect aisle and without thinking he grabbed her hand, "Let's snatch those." Before she could respond he dragged her down the aisle, mumbling apologizes and excuses to the people he bumped into, and they sat down. He came to his senses and looked at her, "Oh. I mean, you can sit in the front row if you want, I just thought..."

"No, this is great." She nodded, smiling as she sipped her soda through the straw. AJ set the bucket of popcorn on their arm rests and leaned back in his seat. The previews hadn't even started and movie trivia and dancing and singing Raisenettes were flickering across the screen. He snuck a glance at Autumn, who was thoughtfully munching on some popcorn while intently reading the trivia and he breathed a sigh of relief. Truth be told, he hadn't really wanted to leave her at the bar earlier, but he figured she had better things to do than play "pity party for AJ" while he nursed a broken heart. He'd felt bad, but now running into her again, maybe he'd been dealt a second chance. And believe it or not, she didn't seem to be pissed at him like he would've expected. So far, she seemed to be enjoying herself. Then again, it had only been about ten minutes...

"I didn't know that. Did you know that?"

He snapped out of his daze, "Know what?"

She motioned towards the screen, "That Rob and Sheri Moon met on the set of _House of 1000 Corpses_. I thought they were married before that."

He frowned, "Who?"

"Rob Zombie and his wife, Sheri Moon Zombie? Remember? She was Baby? The _gorgeous_ blonde in _House of 1000 Corpses_ and _The Devil's Rejects_."

He shook his head, "I never saw those."

Her eyes widened, "You haven't? Oh my god, you don't know what you're missing! Have you seen the _Saw_ movies?"

He crinkled his nose, "If a girl as pretty as you enjoys slasher flicks as much as your face says, I think I'd better go..."

She shoved him lightly, "Shut up. I enjoy a good horror movie, ok? And they're hard to find!"

"So you like Adam Sandler and good horror movies?"

"And superhero movies."

He shook his head, "You're an oddball."

She smirked, tossing several pieces of popcorn at his head, "Be quiet--the movie's starting."


End file.
